Wildcats win away from CWS

June 8, 2013

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Joe Flattery and the Kansas State Wildcats are one win away from a trip to the College World Series.

The former St. Edmond Gael and Iowa Central Triton pitcher worked five effective innings as KSU's starting pitcher, and the 17th-ranked Wildcats rallied late for a 6-2 victory over No. 5 Oregon State on the Beavers' home field here Saturday night in an NCAA Super Regional contest.

The Big 12 regular season champion Wildcats (45-17 overall) rallied from a 2-0 deficit with single runs in the top of the sixth and ninth innings. They exploded for four runs in the 10th to push the Beavers (48-11) to the brink of elimination in front of 3,500 fans.

Flattery (5-4) - a senior left-hander - allowed four hits and two earned runs in taking the no decision. He walked two and struck out three, throwing 40 of his 68 pitches for strikes and lowering his season earned run average to 3.86.

Tanner Witt was 3-for-6 with three RBI for the Wildcats, who received five innings of scoreless relief from their bullpen.

Oregon State is now 24-6 at Goss Stadium this season.

Game 2 in the best-of-three series is here tonight at 9 p.m. A win would advance K-State to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time ever. A loss would set up a winner-take-all showdown on Monday night.

Tonight's Super Regional matchup will again be televised by ESPNU and on WatchESPN.

Flattery was an all-state pitcher for the Gaels, who won a Class 2A state championship in his senior campaign. He was 14-8 in two seasons for the Tritons, and is 11-8 in his two-year career at KSU. Flattery led the team in starts and starter ERA this year.

Flattery is the son of Fort Dodge's Dave and Debbie Flattery. His brothers are Andy, Tim and Neil, and he has a sister, Megan.